This is an Arabic translation of Lewis Caroll’s nonsense poem Jabberwocky. It’s the first translation of this delightfully wacky work into Arabic (at least I think it is.) Arabic is an ideal language for Jabberwocky, it being replete with flowery expressions and fanciful synonyms. The morphological structure of Arabic, with three-consonant roots and fluid vowels, makes inventing words equivalent to the original creations an especially delicious task. The major inspiration for this translation, in addition to Jabberwocky itself, is Al-Asmai’s equally nonsense, much more ancient poem “Safiru Sawtu Al-Bulbuli” (The Bulbul’s Song). Al-Asmai was an important 9th century Arabic scholar and poet, known for his books on subjects as wide-ranging as zoology, natural science, and anecdotes. There is an interesting story behind The Bulbul’s Song: apparently the Abbasid Caliph at the time could memorize poems from one hearing. He also had a slave who could memorize a whole poem from two hearings, and a slave-girl who could do it from three hearings. Whenever a poet came to the Caliph with a new poem, expecting a prize, the Caliph would tell him he’d heard the poem before, recite the poem, and have his slave and slave-girl recite the poem. Al-Asmai, knowing there was intrigue involved, invented a nonsense poem that would stump the Caliph and his slaves. Upon hearing the inimitable poem, the Caliph resumed the time-honored tradition of rewarding creative poets.

العربية Arabic

Arabic Transliterated

Original English

جراذل الوابي ضحى

تدربحت تدربُحا

مُفرفرٌ تُنحنحا

وطائرُ البُربرِ فحا

Jarâdhilu l-wâbi dhuhâ

Tadarbahat tadarbuhâ

Mufarfirun tanahnaha

Wa tâ’iru l-burburi fahâ

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

اِحذرَرِ الجبروقا

وفكّه المُطَرطقا!

واحذر طُييرَ الجُبجُبِ

والغنضبَ المُزندقا

Ihdhirari l-jabarwaqâ

Wa fakkahu l-mutartiqâ

W’ahdhar tuyayra l-jubjubi

W’al-ghandhaba l-muzandiqâ!

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”

قُلّد سيفَ القنضلى

يريدُ صيد العنضلى

في فيّ نخلِ الظَمظمِ

متكئاً مُفنضلاً.

Qullida sayfa l-qandhalâ

Yurîdu sayda l-andhalâ

Fi fayyi nakhli l-dhamdhami

Muttaki’an mufandhilâ.

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

وبينما تنفضلا

جاء الجبروَق من علا!

عيناه جمرٌ قلقلا

في الغاب يسعى بربلا!

Wa baynamâ tafandhalâ

Ja’a l-jabarwaqu min alâ

Aynâhu jamrun qalqalâ

Fil-ghâbi yas’â barbalâ!

And as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

قطع قطع ضرب ضرا

أسقطه مُجندلاً!

برأسِه تقهقرا

مُبختِراً مُهرولاً.

Qata qata dharab dharâ!

Asqatahu mujandalâ!

Bi ra’sihi taqahqarâ

Mubakhtiran muharwilâ.

One, two! One, two! and through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.